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Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Universal Voodoo: Wax Tarts

Universal Voodoo first came across my computer screen years and years ago when I used to read Isabel's Musings of a Muse makeup blog. She enjoys a good wax tart from time to time and blogs about them. Universal Voodoo sprang up on my Facebook feed a few weeks ago and I decided to go ahead and place an order. The owner, Tod, told me I was his first official Etsy order. He does have his own webstore here as well.

Tod sells his wax tarts as 2 ounce shapes that are made of, vegetable wax, beeswax and botanical butters. He uses a paraffin free blend. He recommends cutting them into 1/4 or 1/2 for use. The prices of the scents vary due to fluctuations in the fragrance oils used.

I ordered five scents and he threw in a free sample miniature wax tart and four perfume oil sample vials. The packaging came in a lovely rustic burlap sack, with each tart double bagged.

Porridge that will stick to your ribs. This is not from a puny Quaker oatmeal insta-oatmeal packet. This rustic parritch was cooked to nourish not only the body but the whole being. Raisins and walnuts waft up first, raisins so dark and plump they masquerade as dates. Softly dusted with cinnamon and nutmeg and creamed with milk and dark brown sugar, this oatmeal is utterly delicious. There is almost a homemade banana bread suggestion to it. I love it. I cut it in half and put about one ounce in each warmer. Can I tell you I should have listened to Tod and cut it into quarters?! It threw really strong so I had to turn it off after a bit to just enjoy the scent that was lingering in the air. I will definitely be cutting the rest into 1/2 ounce portions. The smell was even more rich when warmed. Very nice.

This is Christmas. This is a winter woods walk. This is brilliant. Slightly camphorous bayberry and birch bark are sweetened by dried apples and oranges, spiked with dusty cinnamon bark curls. A uniquely blended and sophisticated take on a holiday favorite. I will be ordering more of this one.

Old Fashioned- Notes: Vanilla cream, cardamom seed, clove bud. $4.95

This one is all about the vanilla cream. The cardamom and clove only very minimally add depth to the vanilla cream. This is one incredible scent. It almost has a custard or creme brûlée texture, that richness of egg yolk and decadence of aged vanilla bean paste. Can I eat this? I want to eat this.

Strange music, strange bird, indeed. This is one of those scents that the more I smell it, the more I like it. Very complex and unique. At first I get the chocolate and I want to turn away, but then I realize it is the expensive Dutch dark cocoa powder that I love and not the cloying Tootsie Roll or anemic Hershey's cocoa powder chocolate smells that I detest. Once I stay long enough to seek past the chestnut rich cocoa, I can detect a swarthy pirate imbibing his rum and toking a small teak pipe. Hey there sexy pirate. Do you often come here for chocolate? Sweet and smoky vetiver round out the tableau and I have decided I am going to buy this in a full size. The pirate made me do it.

The 0.4 ounce bee medallion melted in my bedroom with a strong throw. I had to turn it off an hour into it and just enjoy the ghost of the scent that manifested from when it was warmed, otherwise it would have gained flesh and started waltzing about my room as a corporeal being.

Piquant ginger and lemongrass are mellowed by powdery patchouli and tropical white flowers lend sensuality. The spice is subtle and airy. As the fragrance melds with the skin I catch more lemony dew drops on my tongue with the rooty sharpness of pale ginger shards as a backnote. This does remind me of the sun warmed tropical afterglow of a day well spent on an island.

The aquatic nature of the saltwater and driftwood are tamed by sultry orange blossom and jasmine while the dusky myrrh almost feels leathery. This is a naughty nocturnal skinny dip, though the star cooled water feels refreshing, there is flesh against flesh and a white flower in your hair to perfume the moment.

Peppery carnation and the ever majestic rose are darkened with dripping amber and smoldering patchouli. Chocolate adds a touch of sweet powder but never does this turn gourmand on my skin. Smooth sandalwood features in the drydown, with the amber musk and ever present spiced patchouli for a menage a trois of base notes.

Creamy vanilla drenched ylang ylang melts into tarry orris and sweet frankincense resin. An alter hidden in an Amazon rainforest, where incense and tropical ferns and flowers mingle in sweetness.

The pricing can seem a bit off putting initially, but really, you do want to cut these up into a few pieces. The throw is great and the scents are high quality and uniquely sophisticated. These are no single fragrance oils that any Joe can get online for a song. There is care, thought and quality in these blends. I am absolutely going to go back and order one of each scent. I am very happy with my order and would highly recommend trying Universal Voodoo. The perfume oils smell lovely as well. Have you found any Etsy treasures lately? Do you enjoy unique scents such as these? Which of these would you most be likely to melt?

25 comments:

Sister! I just got my shipping notification today and I am soooo excited to receive; old fashioned, beaten path, porridge, and strange music! I got that chocolate pirate booty. Haha. I can't wait to see what samples I get.

How exciting!!! You picked some of my favorites. Please tell me what sample you get for sure. I will be ordering again in August or September. I really want to buy one of each. I hope he does a few more fall/Halloween/Yule scents. <3

I might need to place a tiny little order. I'm intrigued by the one you say is Christmas-y, and there are others that caught my eye while browsing. The prices do scare me, regardless of why they need to be so high. I can't see this being an often ordered from vendor for me, but I'm curious enough to try.

Oh goodness. I just checked out this vendor and I must say I'm intrigued. Like Deb, I would treat this more like a special treat kind of wax vendor, but I can definitely see myself trying out some of their perfumes. Off the top of my head Four Seasons, Invitation, and Sticky fingers sound right up my alley!

I've been keeping an eye on Etsy vendor WicksFlicksNGifts. I've read some awesome reviews and the prices seem reasonable. Each time I've looked they're always out of stock on scents I want to try, though. Guess I should check more often... :P

Horizontal Haze and Porridge sound like something I would melt again and again!

I don't mind paying a bit more for scents that I can't get just anywhere and these definitely qualify for that! I enjoyed the perfume samples. I think you might like them too.

I will have to scope out that Etsy vendor. But it does stink when they are out of what you want. I bet if you messaged them and brought up a review they might make some for you! I find vendors to be pretty accommodating.

Porridge was so rich!! Definitely a snow day scent. I can't wait to cut into Horizontal Haze. <3

WOW!! Thanks so much for the 'heads up', Julie...this vendor is right up my alley. I will definitely be trying some of these melts in the near future.

Just as an FYI, I'm melting Sanderson Sisters, a Halloween fragrance from one of your spotlighted vendors, House of Usher Wax Museum. Pure heaven in melt form!! Very similar to Arabie from Serge Lutens with even MORE resins and spices! I seriously love this stuff!!

This was my first wax vendor ever! I ordered way back in 2006 when it was called alternative breeding. I loved Tod's blends and wax! I definitely need to make an order soon. Thank you for your beautiful pictures and reviews.

Creamy caresses smells amazing! I'm not a big banana fan but this is creamy and sweet, not like runts candy though. The coconut smells like dried coconut flakes and the white chocolate isn't over the top sweet.

Right?! I love the wheat shafts and spider web and Celtic dragon looking one. Very unique. Thank you! I always love hearing what scents people choose, plus I need to be enabled too! lol! Sometimes I skip over a gem or two and miss out.